Cassell's Book of In-door Amusements, Card Games, and Fireside Fun

by Various

TO CATCH A SELECTED CARD FROM A PACK THROWN IN THE AIR.

Let a card be drawn by a spectator, replaced by him in the pack, and by means of the pass or a false shuffle brought to the top by the performer. Palm the card, again hand the pack to one of the spectators and request him to throw the whole pack loosely towards you, and undertake, while the cards are in the air, to pick out the drawn card. When the cards are thrown thrust the hand smartly into the middle of the pack, deftly bringing forward the palmed card at the same time. This is one of the best of the simple sleights-of-hand, and a little practice will enable any one to make the illusion very pleasing.

THE FOUR RECRUITS.

The following simple deception or puzzle is always received with great amusement:—Place the four knaves out of an ordinary pack of cards in a row, state that they represent four recruits, two of whom were passed, and two refused upon the medical examination owing to a physical disability; ask the company to designate which were passed and which refused, and why. Nine people out of ten will fail to detect any difference, but upon examination of most packs of ordinary cards it will be found that two of the jacks are printed with two eyes in each head, whereas the others are printed with one eye only. It may also be noticed that the kings are usually printed three with two eyes in each head, and one with one eye only, while the queens are all given two eyes each. These peculiarities are not so likely to be found in the modern fanciful cards which are now becoming generally used.

THE FOUR CONFEDERATES.

Let some one draw any four cards from the pack, and tell him to notice and remember the particulars of one of them. When the four cards are returned, dexterously place two of them at the bottom and two at the top of the pack. Under those at the bottom place any other four cards, and then, taking eight or ten cards from the bottom, spread them out on the table, and ask if the card fixed upon is among them. If it is not it will then be apparent that the remembered card is one of the two at the top of the pack. Make the pass so as to get those two cards to the bottom of the pack, drawing off the lowest of them; again ask if that is not the card. If the answer is again "No," bid the right card to be drawn from the bottom of the pack. If, however, the card should be among those first shown, the four cards placed under the two of the four that were held out at the commencement of the trick must be dexterously removed by making the pass to the top of the pack, leaving the other two to be dealt with as above described.

THE TRANSMUTABLE CARDS.

For this trick two cards of the same sort, say, for example, the king of spades, are required in the pack. One of these is to be placed next to the bottom card, which we will call, but which may be any card, the seven of hearts. The other is to be placed at the top of the pack; then shuffle the cards by a false shuffle without disturbing these three cards, and show some one of the audience that the bottom card is the seven of hearts. Then privately and secretly drawing this card aside, take the king of spades from the bottom, which will be supposed to be the seven of hearts, and place it, face downwards, on the table, requesting the person to whom the seven of hearts was shown to cover it with his hand. Again shuffle the cards without displacing the first and last cards, pass the other king of spades from the top to the bottom of the pack, and show it to some other person. Draw it privately and secretly away, bring the seven of hearts to the bottom of the pack, then place it upon the table and request the second person who believes it to be the king of spades to cover it with his hand. Take up the magic wand, wave it, and command the seven of hearts, supposed to be under the hand of the first person, to change into the king of spades; and command the king of spades, which is supposed to be under the hand of the second person, to change into the seven of hearts. Afterwards request both persons to remove their hands and to take up and show the cards they have been covering, when, to the astonishment of all, it will be seen that the performer's commands have been strictly obeyed.

THE TWO CONVERTIBLE ACES.

On the ace of spades fix, by the use of soap or some similar substance, a heart coloured red, and on the ace of hearts a spade coloured black, in such a manner that they will easily slip off. Show these two aces round; then, taking the apparent ace of spades, desire some person to put his foot or his hand upon it, and during the act of placing on the ground, or on the table, as the case may be, draw away the spade. In like manner place the seeming ace of hearts under the foot or hand of some other person. Then, as in the preceding trick, command the two aces to change places.